| 1757 |
Born in Calvert County, Maryland. Father Joseph Wilkinson, mother Betty Heighe |
| 1773-1775 |
Attended the Medical College of Pennsylvania. |
| 1775 |
Commissioned as an officer in the Continental Army. Posted in Boston during the seige of 1775-1776 |
| 1776 |
Sees military action at Montreal, adjutant for the Northern Department. |
| 1777 |
More military action at Saratoga, New York. |
| 1777-1781 |
Secretary of the Board of War. |
| 1778 November 12 |
Marries Ann Biddle of Philidelphia. They have two children. |
| 1781 |
Serves as clothier-general of the Army. |
| 1781-1783 |
Tries farming in Pennsylvania. |
| 1784 |
Moves to Kentucky. |
| 1785-1789 |
Becomes active in trade in the western territories. |
| 1787 June |
Wilkinson arrives in New Orleans where he is introduced to the governor and other Spanish officers by Daniel Clark's uncle, also named Daniel Clark. Since the end of the Revolutionary War the Port of New Orleans had been shut to Ohio River settlers who wish to trade their crops and furs. |
| 1787 August 8 |
Wilkinson and his partner, Isaac B. Dunn, contract with Daniel C. Clark the Elder, gaining a monopoly of American trade through New Orleans. Wilkinson will be sending tobacco and other goods down river in flatboats. He returns to eastern seaboard and then to Ohio. Soon after Wilkinson secretly begins representing the Spanish government's interests along the Ohio River. |
| 1789 May 20 |
A letter from Wilkinson to Clark the Elder says the shipment of tobacco that was to have been made by December of 1789 will not be made until the following Spring. |
| 1789 Sept. 18 |
The business arrangement dissolves after Isaac Dunn dies in the summer of 1789 , but not before Daniel Clark the Elder sends a boat up river called the Speedwell, with cargo amounting to $8000. Wilkinson settles affairs of partnership and forms a new partnership with Peyton Short. Wilkinson owes the elder Clark a large sum of money and says he will send a load of tobacco down river on the Speedwell. |
| 1790 Sept. 21 |
Accounts between Ohio and New Orleans close between February and June due to rise of the river. Finally the tobacco, a total of 118 hogs heads, arrives with Philip Nolan and is sold to the Spanish government for $15,850. Wilkinson's creditors were many and clamorous. The Clarks do not renew their relationship with Wilkinson. All will be paid, but Wilkinson's bankruptcy precipitates his return to the Army. His partner, Short, hires James Hughes to settle his debts with Wilkinson after his return to the Army. All commercial debts are settled, but there is no explanation of his subsequent wealth other than the treasonous payments from the Spanish Government. |
| 1791 |
Wilkinson resumes his military career under Anthony Wayne, the ranking officer of the United States Army. |
| 1792 April 21 |
A letter from Secretary of War General Knox to Wilkinson, appointing him a Brigadier General. |
| 1792 April 27 |
Knox authorizes one hundred mounted volunteer riflemen for escorts from post to post as Wilkinson leaves to establish Ft. St. Clair in the Northwest territory. |
| 1793 |
Wilkinson proves his value to his Spanish backers by sending them information about George Rogers Clark's project for an attack on New Orleans, with French backing by Kentucky riflemen, in 1793-94 . He sends a bill for $8,640. His next intrigue is to cultivate Kentucky notables, for which he asks huge sums which are approved by Carondelet, but which amaze the Spanish court for its audacity in light of the subsidy needed to run the Louisiana Colony. |
| 1794 December 4 |
Another letter from Knox mentions great differences between Wilkinson and Major-General Wayne, though Knox has not received a complaint from Wayne. |
| 1796 |
Sept. 22 A letter from Wilkinson to Gayoso,
the only one that Clark includes in the body of his 1809 expose, says in
code "never suffer my name to be written or spoken" and "The suspicion of
Washington is wide awake." Ill Health and many pressing engagements must
be my apology for a short letter. I must refer you to my letter to the baron
for several particulars, and to a detail of my perils and abuses, I must
beg leave to refer you to our friend Power,
whom I find of youthful enterprise and fidelity; HE CERTAINLY DESERVES WELL
OF THE COURT, and I don't doubt that he will be rewarded. What a political
crisis is the present! and how deeply interesting is its probable results,
in all its tendencies, and thereby must hope it may not be carried into
execution. If it is, an entire reform in the police and the military establishments
of Louisiana will be found immediately indispensable to the Mexican provinces.
I beg you to write me fully on the question in cipher by Power,
whose presence in Philadelphia is necessary, as well to clear his own character,
attacked by Wayne, as to support the fact of the outrage recently offered
to the Spanish Crown in his person, and bring me either the person or the
deposition, now under your command, who has been suborned by Wayne to bear
false witness against me, and afterwards, for fear he should recant, bribed
him to leave Kentucky. Power will give you the perfect account of this infamous
transaction, and I conjure you, by all the ties of friendship and of policy,
to assist him on this occasion. IF SPAIN DOES NOT RESENT THE OUTRAGE OFFERED
TO POWER IN THE FACE OF ALL KENTUCKY. My letter to the baron will explain
the motives which carry me to Philadelphia, from whence I will write again
to you. Power will explain to you circumstances which justifies the belief
of the great treachery that has been practiced with respect to the money
lately sent to me. For the love of God and friendship, enjoin great secrecy
and caution in all our concerns. Never suffer my name to be written or spoken.
THE SUSPICION OF WASHINGTON IS WIDE AWAKE. Beware of Bradford, the Fort
Pitt refugee; he seeks to make peace - there are spies every where. We have
a report here that you are appointed governor of Louisiana - God grant it,
as I presume the baron will be promoted. I am your affectionate friend,
W_ On a separate paper he says what follows: This letter will be delivered to you by Nolan, whom you know is a child of my own raising, true to his profession and firm in his attachment to Spain. I consider him a powerful instrument in our hands, should occasion offer, I will answer for his conduct. I am deeply interested in whatsoever concerns him, and I confidently recommend him to your warmest confidence. I am evidently yours affectionately Wilkinson. A copy, Signed Manuel Gayoso de Lemos. |
| 1796 |
Appointed commander at Detroit. |
| 1797 |
Thomas Power travels from Natchez to Detroit to talk to Wilkinson. Wilkinson is away at Michilimacinac. Col. Strong, under Wayne's orders, has Power confined as a spy. Wilkinson returns in September and Power is freed. The object of this mission is for Power to deliver the message for Wilkinson to disobey his orders to take the Natchez country and its forts as per the new treaty. Wilkinson was to rally the westerners and the army that was loyal to him to establish the new country under his command and Spain's support. Wilkinson however states that the treaty changes all the rules, as the inhabitants of the western states have all that they have wanted. He has regained his duty and honor to his country and the plans of the last ten years are now useless. |
| 1797 |
Wilkinson becomes Commander in Chief of the Army when Wayne dies. In spite (in language of Gen. Knox) of "conduct tarnishing the military reputation of our country". |
| 1797 April 23 |
A letter from Carondelet (to Power?) mentions that through the Spanish envoy "near" the United States he has learned that the English are going to attack "the Illinois". St. Louis has but a small fort and nothing is between there and Nogales and lower Louisiana. He has ordered Gayoso to warn Ellicott that he is compelled to put Nogales in a state of defense by moving artillery and troops from Natchez. This leaves fifty men at Natchez under Don Manuel Lanzos, Gayoso leaving for Nogales with Guillimard and Perchet ( and Vidal). Also being sent to Nogales is a company of grenadiers. 12,000 Spanish troops expected at Havana. Through Nolan he describes a rift between Gayoso and Ellicot where Choctaws drank to excess, got into a dispute with Ellicot's servants, who thought that Gayoso had made them drunk. Ellicot made Nolan stay in his camp. Carondelet believes that if Ellicot had announced his entrance into the territory properly none of this would have happened. (Note 44, Proofs. |
| 1797 May |
A letter from Baron de Carondelet to Wilkinson protests the troops sent by the U. S. to occupy the Mississippi territory that Spain has ceded by treaty. The General sends troops under captains Guion and Heth. |
| 1797 May 26 |
Letter from Baron Carondelet to Thomas Power who is taking a messages to Gayoso in New Madrid and Wilkinson at Cincinnati. Wilkinson is moving troops to take possession of the forts at Natchez and Walnut Hills following the treaty concluded between Spain and the United States. The Baron is trying to prevent a build up of troops at these posts and describes a way for Power to pass on to him troop and artillery strengths that may be sent to the new forts by the Americans. Carondelet is flattering Wilkinson that he would rather be the liberator of a new nation than the Commander of the army of the Atlantic States. |
| 1797 June 3 |
Gayoso had received his orders from Carondelet. Thomas Power sets out from Bayou Pierre on this date and does not arrive in Nashville (capital of Cumberland) until July 5 due to problems with his horses, etc. He is detained by the magistrate there, J. Gordon, then travels on to Louisville to meet Benjamin Sebastian. He reaches Detroit on August 16. Wilkinson was not there, being at Machilimakinac and did not return until September 3. He returns to New Madrid October 10 and to New Orleans 30 November. Wilkinson had told him that the inhabitants of the Western States, having gained everything they wanted through Pinckney's Treaty were no longer interested in separating from the United States. |
| 1797 September 5 |
Wilkinson acknowledges Power's visit and sends a reply to Carondelet through Power. (Note 42, Proofs) |
| 1798 |
Wilkinson is named the Commander of the army's Southern Department. |
| 1798 October |
During this month Clark stays with Wilkinson in a tent at Loftus Heights and hears his confession of the late plans to conquer the western states. Wilkinson is forthcoming to Clark at this time he (Clark) resided in New Orleans, was subject to Spanish laws and had no obligation to the government of the United States or expectations of becoming a citizen of the United States. Clark refuses a request by Wilkinson to be an agent in his quest to trade $10,000 owed to him by the Spanish Government for governor Gayoso's plantation near Natchez. Wilkinson says his connection to the Spanish was over and Clark says he would say nothing about it to the U. S. Government. Later Wilkinson denies that he was in a tent at the time and met with Clark, saying he slept on his boat. |
| 1798 October 22 |
In a deposition (Note 48 Proofs) Isaac Guion says he joined the army camped at Loftus Heights on this day. He met Daniel Clark who stayed another day or two and then left for 12 to 15 days towards Natchez after which he returned and was there on the 20th of November for maybe two more days |
| 1799 March 13 |
A letter from Wilkinson at Loftus's Heights saying that Gayoso asks too much for the mansion, telling Clark to forget it. |
| 1800-1806 |
Wilkinson secretly continues to plot various schemes involving empire building in Mexico and western territories of the United States. |
| 1801 June |
In his deposition (Note 55, Proofs) Daniel Coxe notes that Andrew Ellicot informed him that in the month of June, 1801 he communicated to Mr. Jefferson the exact sum of money that had been sent by Don Thomas Portel to General Wilkinson, that it was the pension allowed the General by the Spanish government, that he was a man not to be trusted and would one day disgrace and involve the government in his schemes. |
| 1801 December 20 |
A treaty has been concluded at Fort Adams with the Choctaw Nation. The chiefs have consented to the opening of a road through their lands to Tennessee, but refuse the erection of houses of accommodation. The commissioners of the treaty are General James Wilkinson, Benjamin Hawkins and Andrew Pickens. The road to be built will be called the Natchez Trace. William C. C. Claiborne is the governor of the Mississippi Territory. |
| 1803 |
Wilkinson is chosen as co-commissioner with William C. C. Claiborne at the transfer of Louisiana to the United States. |
| 1804 Winter |
Aaron Burr's last months as Vice President. Wilkinson is also in the city of Washington at this time. |
| 1805 May 28 |
A letter from Wilkinson at Rapids of Ohio (Note 78, Proofs) to Gen. Adair wanting to introduce him to Burr. |
| 1805 June 8 |
Aaron Burr reaches Ft. Massac on the Ohio and confers with Wilkinson. Burr leaves the next day with letters of introduction, one of which goes to Daniel Clark. Massac, June 9th, 1805 My Dear Sir, This will be delivered to you by Colonel Burr, whose worth you know well how to estimate. If the persecutions of a great and honorable man can give title to generous attentions, he has claims to all your civilities and all your services. You can not oblige me more than by such conduct, and I pledge my life to you it will not be misapplied. To him I refer you for many things improper to letter, and which he will not say to any other.- shall be at St. Louis in two weeks, and if you were there we could open a mine, a commercial one at least. Let me hear from you - Farewell, do well, and believe me always your friend. JA Wilkinson. |
| 1806 |
Wilkinson negotiates the Neutral Ground Treaty, briefly settling western boundary of Louisiana which is the border between the U. S and Texas (Mexico) at this time. |
| 1807 January 8 |
Wilkinson writes to Clark's partner in Philadelphia, Daniel Coxe. The letter to be passed on to Clark tries to create an obligation for defending Clark in the Dec. 10 1806 letter and trying to Continue the ruse of October 1798 (Loftus Heights) that he had severed his connections with the Spanish Government. In this letter Wilkinson calls Thomas Jefferson a fool and Claiborne his contemptible fabricator. Clark passes this letter on to Madison who is astonished at Wilkinson duplicity. |
| 1807 January 25 |
Letter to Governor Folch at Baton Rouge from Wilkinson in New Orleans. He remembers Folch in New Orleans at his first visit in 1787 as a nephew of the deceased governor Miro. |
| 1807 February 10 |
Governor Folch in reply to Wilkinson states that he came to New Orleans July 14, 1783. He assures Wilkinson that he has seen no documents that could be taken as a commission or pension to Wilkinson from the Spanish government. |
| 1807 |
1807 (Clark p 64)Wilkinson asks Power, then governor Folch to vouch for his innocence. Power signed an affidavit quickly but Folch dances around with his honesty at stake. Wilkinson also approaches Salcedo who is in Philadelphia, on his way to Texas to be governor there. Salcedo publishes in the Philadelphia Gazette only that Daniel Clark was universally known in Louisiana as a zealous patriot of the United States, an upright man of the highest integrity both in his public and private affairs, always preferring the public good to his own interest. He could only answer the innocence of Wilkinson by revealing the intrigues of his own nation. |
| 1807 March 20 |
Another letter from Wilkinson (unsigned) to Clark (Note 72, Proofs) He notes that the animosities between Aaron Burr's supporters (mostly Americans and foreigners) and his enemies (ancient inhabitants - Creoles. On Burr's side: Livingston, Workman, Kerr, Watkins, P. Jones, Dancyark, Bradford the Printer and the Bar in general. Against Burr: P. Lanuse, Garrick, Poidrass, B. Morgan, Bellechasse, Fortier, the Urquharts, both Pollocks, Dubourg, Gurley, Duncan, Flood, etc. Referring to himself in the third person he says it is untrue, the rumors that Wilkinson is suggesting Clark's collusion with Burr. Burr Bollman and their agents have made use of the house of Chew and Relf to cover their correspondence. Relf delivers two letters to Wilkinson from Burr to Bollman. The second one is not addressed and Wilkinson refuses it and questions how Relf knows it is for Bollman. He calls Relf a "thick sculled beast" who claims to be ill used by the general. He hints that Mexico is ripe for independence and the opportunity is a golden one for the United States. He says W.C.C.C. is leaving the first of May and Graham has tendered his resignation. Something about Monroe arriving. He has written Clark twice with no answer. |
| 1807 May 24 |
Another letter from Wilkinson to Clark.(Note 73, Proofs) in which he lauds Clark for his "interposition on (Wilkinson's) behalf as reported by General Smith , at the seat of government. He calls Donaldson, Urquhart, Lane and Morgan solid citizens. Wilkinson is at the Belize on his way to the trial at Richmond. |
| 1807 July 10 |
Another letter from Wilkinson to Clark this time from Richmond relating that he is defending Clarks name and reputation at the trial. |
| 1807 1807 (1806?) July 16 |
Letter from General Dayton (Note 80, Proofs) to Aaron Burr and Wilkinson in cipher. Wilkinson has moved his headquarters down river. |
| 1807 August 31 |
John Mercier is deposed before Bonamy a Justice of the Peace (Note 19 Proofs) describing method of ciphering between Carondelet and Wilkinson. Mercier, one of the clerks in the governor's office from 1792-1801, used a small English dictionary with the number of the page and the line on the page, instead of the word itself. |
| 1807 Sept. 4 |
John McDonough deposed before JP John Lynd (Note 24 Proofs) about General Wilkinson's March 1804 purchase of sugar and his payment of the amount of $8045.30 in Mexican dollars in Mexican bags. |
| 1807 October 5 |
(Note 74, Proofs) Letter from Wilkinson in Richmond. He understands that Clark is coming around with Captain Power to do Wilkinson harm. Wilkinson discounts these reports due to Clark's declarations to General Smith last winter and assurances made to Captain McClean in New Orleans. Charges had been made by Bradford. Cenas writes to Wilkinson saying Clark is bound for Philadelphia. It is a long letter. Wilkinson had written to Aaron Burr, on Clark's advice and to Dr. Brown, Burr's brother-in-law. Bollman has gone to great pains to implicate Clark to Wilkinson. Swartout tried to convince him that Ogden had gone to New Orleans with dispatches from Burr and that Clark was to furnish provisions. He has a bill on Clark from G. W. Ogden in favor of P. V. Ogden drawn on account of land purchase. Wilkinson obviously feels the weight of the trial on him. |
| 1807 October 10 |
Another letter from Wilkinson from Richmond. Wilkinson is alarmed that Aaron Burr has subpoenaed Clark. Wilkinson has changed his direction to accusing Clark of treason with Burr. |
| 1807 October 12 |
Wilkinson to Clark (Note 75, Proofs) anxious to see him but it is a matter of great delicacy. |
| 1807 October |
Another letter from Wilkinson from Richmond mentioning an extract from a memoir Clark transmitted to Pickering in 1796-7.(Note 2, Proofs) |
| 1807 October 24 |
Wilkinson publishes a pamphlet titled A Plain Tale signed A Kentuckian. He sends a copy to Clark with a letter acknowledging his authorship. In the pamphlet he explains that he gained exclusive trade with the Spanish for his fellow westerners in 1787. He explains that this monopoly of trade is acquired by means that would not be honorable to detail. Clark says that Wilkinson seems to think that dishonor would be attached to the disclosure, but none to the act. (P11, Clark) |
| 1809 |
With the officials of West Florida in a crisis mode the Secretary of War William Eustice passes on to Wilkinson President Madison's desire not to interfer with the Spanish territories. |
| 1809 |
Daniel Clark accuses Wilkinson in his Proofs, of masterminding the whole scheme blamed on Aaron Burr. |
| 1810 March 5 |
Wilkinson marries again, to Celestine Laveau Trudeau, daughter of Charles Laveau Trudeau and widow of Thomas Urquhart. They will have three children. |
| 1816 |
Publishes his autobiography: Memoirs of My Own Times in three volumes. |
| 1821-25 |
Speculates in Texas land. |
| 1825 December 28 |
Dies and is buried in Mexico City's Iglesia de San Miguel Arcangel. |